Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

vivatifosi

silvercar wrote: »

Anyone had any experience with "webuyanycar.com"?

There's a similar company locally. Can't remember what they are called but name is v similar. Based Watford. SIL used them to sell her convertible when she had a child and found that because of the hood, they couldn't get buggy in the boot.

They got more than the dealer offered and not a dissimilar amount to a private sale, but without the hassle. It was an unusual, sought after car though. Not saying yours isn't, just not sure if that made a difference.

Pyxis

PasturesNew wrote: »

I have my floor back! I've a "bag for life" full of redundant paperwork to go into recycling.

Bags for life are my new favourite thing. I was gifted 2 nearly a year ago (Sainsbobs and Ald1) ... and then I was gifted a few more a bit later - and I religiously take one out with me all the time now ... but, back in the house, they have a gazillion really useful jobs they do... from storing, sorting to carrying. I think they're a great way to sort out piles of stuff as you can just line up a load and categorise items into the bags in the first instance, then deal with each bag. They're a good size and at only 38p they're a good buy.

I bet they'd make good/last minute potting bags for plants too... easy to poke holes in the bottom of one for drainage, until you've time to go out and get a proper pot!

I think the biggest problem I have is not how to file old gas bills ... it's the "lifestyle" stuff.

I joined a library, got a letter.
I enquired about a social group, I've got a letter.
I wandered around 2-3 craft fairs and picked up the business cards of people who sold "interesting stuff I might like to look at again online".
I bought a bed, so that has a receipt.
I bought a ladle for food for the kitchen, £1, which has a small info leaflet, e.g. manufacturer and care notes.

I do actually have separate files where I keep all the instruction leaflets for things I buy, but when you buy, say, a small dish that's microwave safe and all you have is the label, it's nice to be able to check if it's microwave safe... so I do tend to keep the stickers from items.

So, it's all these "tiny things" that can create filing clutter ....

The library and social group and similar could be filed under 'Leisure'.

The others could be filed under 'Purchases and Receipts' instead of just 'Receipts'.

Things that you are considering buying, could be filed under 'Prospective Purchases'.

With the receipts file, it's useful to go through it once a year and chuck out anything pertaining to things you've got rid of or that broke etc.


Anything that really doesn't fit into any category, well, there's the good old 'Miscellaneous' option!


Also, I find that if something could go under more than one category, it's useful to put a page into the other category saying "Item such-and-such......see 'category X'".
That saves a lot of time when you actually need to find it.




Another really important thing, if you're using ring binders, is to buy a load of extra-large dividers, as the ordinary dividers just don't show up when the file is closed.
Saves me a lot of swearing, anyway!

vivatifosi

GDB2222 wrote: »

The first thing I found on Facebook today was some totally fake news that Mick Jagger had died. Then, I found this, which doesn't look all that fake:-

There will, Sadly, be a new column to add to this soon. There has been a spate of thefts from police cars in Florida. The cars are left unattended, say overnight. The thieves break in and steal the police's weapons. Not handguns, but the full-on semi automatics. Now, I don't know why people are doing this, but methinks the endgame will be sinister. Why are such powerful weapons and ammo left unattended in police cars?

ukmaggie45

OH just left to go to an Anti-Trump meet down at St George's Hall. He's wearing his second best glasses just in case there's any trouble. Not that I expect any pro-Trumpers here! :rotfl:

ivyleaf

Trump reminds me of Henry VIII, impulsive and changes his mind on a whim as far as I can gather

Pyxis

I wonder if Trump is related to Berlusconi?

vivatifosi

ivyleaf wrote: »

Trump reminds me of Henry VIII, impulsive and changes his mind on a whim as far as I can gather

I thought you were going to say loads of wives, all of whom were smarter.

michaels

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've moved around a lot, so took to having a simple filing system that "everything was around here somewhere" and I'd be able to find it. Most inbound mail are simply opened, hole stamped, then shoved into a big lever arch file, so in date order of arriving. A few items are then shoved into that lever arch file, still in the envelope as I know what's in there... and it's everything... all post...

Finally getting my head a little clearer from the life clutter of recent years, events and moves and decided that, in order to finally submit the tax return (did the figures months ago, left it sitting there "in case") ... I'd reorganise it.

So yesterday I went and bought some ring binders for the job.... and some C4 envelopes for archive filing. I've yet to decide what will force a move of records from a ring binder into archives....

sat down with the big file and am going through trying to work out how to group paperwork together and all you do is end up with the whole floor full of small piles of paper and random bits of paper/receipts ... and you think "bugg4h this".

I made hot chocolate with mini marshmallows instead.

I think I need four basic file piles:
- household bills/utilities, TV license, home insurance
- car stuff, tax, MoT, insurance, breakdown, V5
- property purchase and property related, solicitor communications etc.
- Govt communications, so tax return etc

I thought I'd colour code them - I bought two cheery colours and some black ones... I think I need a third cheery colour (they only had three). I can use one colour for a grouping, the cheery colours were 3-packs, so I could say lime green is household, one is utilities, the other is communications... leaving an empty one. EDIT: Ah, that can be "lifestyle", so anything to do with Denplan, or library memberships, or shop cards/points etc ...

Then there's banking.....

I need more files.... and I think I need to make my own covers for the black ring binders by covering them in wrapping paper to make them less grim looking.

Maybe if I do the Govt folder in a green, like their logo colour ... and banking might be done in parcel wrapping paper as it's boring.

It's not easy deciding a workable system....

I find I need to buy a new filing cabinet every few years - online statements sort of helps but you then have no perm records after you change providers.

We have a fair few tesco bag for life as they gave them out free for amweek when the charge came in. Problem is though that they don't last long and we rarely go to Mr T so they are all pretty tatty now.

vivatifosi wrote: »

I thought you were going to say loads of wives, all of whom were smarter.

I have only had one wife but even with this limited experience I know that one's wife will always be smarter.....

silvercar

vivatifosi wrote: »

There's a similar company locally. Can't remember what they are called but name is v similar. Based Watford. SIL used them to sell her convertible when she had a child and found that because of the hood, they couldn't get buggy in the boot.

They got more than the dealer offered and not a dissimilar amount to a private sale, but without the hassle. It was an unusual, sought after car though. Not saying yours isn't, just not sure if that made a difference.

Ours is a boring little Aygo, 10 years old with only 23,000 miles on the clock.

Done a deal with the dealer now, so that will make things a little easier.

Just need to sort out insurance next.

zagubov

silvercar wrote: »

Ours is a boring little Aygo, 10 years old with only 23,000 miles on the clock.

Done a deal with the dealer now, so that will make things a little easier.

Just need to sort out insurance next.

"Boring" cars will be the future, I'm afraid. Money's tight, fuel's running out and parking space is shrinking. Insurance and tax will only go up.